Burial-vault.



.JOHN w.rEr1 LE, or HILLsBoBo, mixes.y

. BURIAL-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3,- 1an.

Application led December 28, 1909. Serial No. 535,234.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. PEPPLE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Hillsboro, in the'county of Hill and tate of Texas, have inventednew and useful Im.- provements in Burial-Vaults, of which the following isa specification. 4

The present invention is an improvement 'in burial vaults, and its primary object,

stated broadly, comprehends the production of a vault so constructed as to be rendered perfectly air and moisture proof when closed and sealed. i

As a secondary object, the invention includes the production of simple and effective means for exhausting noxiousl gases from the interior of the vault, and the further production of means for protecting the afore-mentioned exhausting means.

More especially, the invention resides in the particular construction of the two component parts of the vault, namely, the top and bottom sections thereof; in the particular form of seal or joint made use of; and in the particular exhausting means employed and its associated protecting means A structural embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinj Y Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vault, with its top section raised; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is a sectional view showing the closed vault '1n posltion in the ground, and the exhausting and protecting means in position.

As shown In said drawings, the vault 1s composed of top and bottom sections 1 and 2, constructed of concrete or other suitable material. The bottom section comprises side and end walls, 3, 3 andi, 4, and a floor, base, or bottom wall 5, its top being open. In the upfper face of said side and end walls, there is seat 6, having inits outer wall intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof, a groove 7, which is likewise continuous.

Tn the construction shown, the top section has its side walls 8, 8 sloping or converging, so as to shed anywater which may reach the same after percolating through the ground. This section is formed at its edge portion with a continuous-depending flange 10 which conforms to the" shape -of the seat 6, wherein it is designed to be received, and

"isprovided in its outer face with a conormed a continuous depression orl l tinuous groove 11, said groove alining with groove 7 when said section is in place. The thickness of the flange is appreciably less than the width of seat 6, and its dimensions are such that its inner face will fit squarely against theinner wall of said 7seat, soA as to completel close the interior of the vault. Toward its lower edge the lflange tapers slightly, the faces thereof sloping inwardly, as shown, and at said edge there 1s formed a series of de ending spaced projections 12 which are a apted to rest upon the bottom wall of the above mentioned seat andthus,

support the top section in position.

There are provided u on the top section lateral projections 13 w ich in the present instance are shown as formed upon the end walls 9,9, of said section. At theirnecks i. the points where they join said end walls 9, 9, said projections are slightly undercut as indicated by the numeral 14. These'projections 13 constitute supports to.

which the ropes, (not shown), for raising A and loweringl said section may be attached, the undercutting 14 preventing the ropes from .slipping during such operation. Means is also provided for supporting the bot-tom wall of the vault slightly above the bottom of the grave after said vault has been lowered thereinto, so as to permit thewithdrawal of the ropes by means of which that operation is effected. Such means may be in the nature of spaced ribs 15 formed upon the lower face of the vault bottom.

The gas-exhausting means afore-mentioned is shown in the present instance as constituted by a vertically-arranged pipe 16,

preferably constructed of copper, one end y of which is received in an opening 17 formed. throughl one ofthe Walls of the top section, While its other end is covered by an inverted earthenware receptacle 18, said pipe extending upwardly to a point not' far removed from the surface'of the ground, as shown in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that the ex,- haust pipe will conduct from the interior of the vault all gases which may emanate from the casket 19 therewithin, -while the arrangement of the receptacle above the outlet end of said pipe will serve'to protect the latter by preventing the entrance of dirt or moisture thereinto.

In order tov render the vault perfectly air. and moisture proof, a seal or joint bet-Ween the two sections thereof is employed. This readil;7 adheres,

y composite nature, consists essentially of a lower part or layer of pitch, and an upper layer 21 of concrete or other celnentitious materal. The method of constructing said seal is as follows, it being understood of course, that the vault is sealed subsequent to the disposition of the casket within its interior: Hot pitch `is poured into seatl 6, and the top section 1 of the vault then placed in position upon the lower section, with itsflange 10 extending into said seat and its projections 12 resting on the bottom wall thereof. The entry of the flange into said seat will cause the pitch seal, which is of a to ascend on both sides thereof, this being facilitated by the inclined faces of said flange "and by the spaced arrangement of said projections. To these faces, as well as to the opposite walls of the seat, the pitch thereby forming a permanent air and moisture proof seal, as will be understood. When this operation has been i completed, the remainder of the seat is filled also lls that portion of the enough to admit of its with cement mortar, which is just thick being worked with a -tro'wel. This layer or filling of cement enters and lls the alining grooves 7 and 11, therebyforming keys or locks which, when hardened, positively preclude subsequent removal of the top section; said layer also serves to protect the. above mentioned seal from eXposure'to the elements. The cement above said grooves, as well as the space between the side and end edges of the top secftion and the corresponding outer edges of the bottom section, as shown, the upper face of the cement being subsequently' pointed ofi' with the trowel. At the completion of the formation of the joint, the vault is lowered into the grave in the usual manner by means of ropes which may be withdrawn after the vault is in position, owing to the formation of the ribs l15, or their equivalents. exhaust ipe is then attached to the top section of the vault, after which the grave is filled in almost to the upper end of said pipe. The vessel or receptacle 18 is then eted.-

Y placed yover said pipe end and the filling 'in of the grave finally comp seat which isV The tion formed at its upper face with a continuous seat; a top section formed with a continuous flange extending into said seat, said flange having the lower portion of its inner face sloping away from the inner wall of said seat to provide a space between said wall and face, and its lower edge formed with a series of spaced projections adapted to rest upon the bottom wall of said seat for supporting said top section in position; and a composite grout consistinfr of a layer of non-cementiti'ous material filling the lower portion of the seat and extending through the spaces between said projections into thel space between said sloping face and the inner wall of said seat to constitute a permanent airand moisture-proof seal between said sections, and a layer of cementitious material lling the upper portion of said seat to constitute a permanent lock between said sections and to protect said seal from exposure to the elements.

2. A burial vault comprising a bottom section having a continuous seat formed in its upper face; a top section having a continu ous depending flange extending into said seat, said flange having the lower portion of its opposite faces arranged in spaced relation to the adjacent walls of said seat, and its lower edge formed with depending projections adapted to rest upon the bottom wall of said seat to support said top section 1n position and spaced apart to provide means of communication between the spaces at opposite sides of said flange; and a-grout filling said seat and extending upon both sides of said flange through the spaces between said projections into contact with both faces of said flange and both walls ofsaid seat, to constitute a permanent lock between said sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto s etmy hand in presence of two subscribing w1tnesses.

' JOHN W. IPEPPLE.- Witnesses:

A. L. LowREY, MENDEZ YOUNG. 

